The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-07-27
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIvINE'S SUN
DAY SERMON.
Subject: From Dungeon to Palace
preached at the Hamptons,
Long Island.)

with coffin and hears, and undertaker's
spade and screwdriver, that the Christian can
hardly think as he ought of the most cheerful
passage in all his history. We hang black
instead of white over the place whore the
good man gets his last victory. We stand
weeping over heap of chains which the treed
soul has shaken off, and we say: Poor
man! What a pity it was he had to come
to this.n Come to what! By the time
the people have assembled at the obSeGuies
the man has been three days so happy
that all the joy of earth accumulated
would be wretchedness beside it, and he
might better weep over you because you
have to stay, than you weep over him be-
cause he has to 60. 1t is fortunate
thing that good man does not have to wait
to see his own obSequies, they would be so
iiScoriant with his own experience. II the
Israelites should go back to Egypt and mourn
over the brick kilns they once left, they would
not be any more silly than that Christian
who should forsake heaven and come down
and mourn because he had to leave this
world Our ideas of the Christians death
are morbid and sickly We look upon it as
dark hole, in which a man Stumblts when his
breath gives out. This whole subject is odor-
Gus with varnish and diSinfectantS, instead OF
being sweet with niignonette. Paul, in my
text takes that great clod of word, death"
and throws it away, and speaks OF his de
parture'-a beautiful, bright, suggestive
word, descriptive of every Christians re-
lease.
Now, departure implies starting place
and place of destination. When Paul left
this world what was the starting points 1t
was scene of great physical distress. 1t was
the Tullianum, the lower dungeon OF the
Mamertine prison. The top dungeon was
bad enough, it having no means of ingress or
egress but through an opening in the top:
Through that the prisoner was lowered, and
through that came all the food and air and
light received. 1t was terrible place, that
upper dungeon; but the Tullianum was
the lower dungeon, AMI TINT was still
only air coming through the roof, and that
roof the floor Of the upper dungeon. That
was Paurs last earthly residence 1t was a
dungeon just six feet and a half high. 1t was
a doleful place. 1t had the chill of long
centuries Of dampness. 1t was filthy with ths
.lonc incarceration of miserable wretcheS 1t
was there that Paul spent his last days on
earth, and it is there that / see him to-day,
in the fee ul dungeon, shivering, blue with
the cold, waiting for that old oyercoat which
ihe had sent for up to Troas, and which they
had not yet sent down, notwithstanding he
had written for it.
If some skilful surgeon should 60 into that
dungeon where Paul is incarcerated, we might
find out what are the prospects of Paul's liv-
first place. he is an old man, only two years
short of seventy. At that very time when he
most needs the warmth and the sunlight, and
the fresh air. he is shut out from the sun.
What are those scars on his ankles! Why,
those were gotten when he was fast, his feet
in the stocks. Every time he turned, the
flesh on mis- ankles started. What are
those scars on his back! You know he
was whipped five times, each time getting
thirty-nine strokes-195 bruises on the
back count themD made by the Jews with
rods Of elmwood, each one Of the l93 strokes
bringing the blood Lcok at Paurs face and
look at his arms " here did he get those
bruises2 think it was when he was strug-
Cling ashore amidst the shiverei timbers of
Where did he get that? I think be got that
in the tussel with highwaymen, for he had
been in peril of robbers and be had money of
his own. He was mechanic as well as an
apostle, and think the tents he made were
fs good as his sermons.
There was a wanneSs about PaurS looks.
What makes that? I think part of that
came from the fact that he was for
twenty-four hours on plank in the
Mediterranean sea, suffering terribly, be-
fore he was rescued; for he says posi-
lively: 81 was a night and day in tine
deep" Oh, worn out, emaciated old
man! surely you must be melancholy,
No constitution could endure this and be
cheerful. But press my way through the
prison until come up close to where he is,
and by the faint light that streams through
joy, and l bow before him, and I say:
"Aged man, how can you keep cheerful
amidst all this gloomr' His voice startleS
the darkness of the place, as he
cries out: 81 am now ready to be
offered, and the time of my departure is at
hand" Hark! what is that shuttiing of feet
in the upper dungeon' Why, Paul has an
dine today . with with the he king. Those
shufling feet are the feet of tie execu-
tioners. They come, and they cry down
through the hole of the dungeron: Hurry
up, old man. Come now; get yourself
ready" Why, Paul was ready. He had
nothing to pack up. He had no baggage to
take. He had been ready good while. I
his stiffened limbs. and pushing back his
white hair from his creviced forehead, and
see him looking up through the hole in the
roof of the dungeon into the face Of his
execution, and hear him say: 81 am
now ready to be offered, at the time OF
my departure is at hand" Then they lift
him out of the dungeon, and they start
say: Hurry along, old man, or you, will
feel the weight Of our spear. Hurry
along" "How far is it," says Paul 1--WE
have to travelr Three miles" Three
miles is good way for an Oil
man to travel after he has beer
whipped and crippled with, NAL
treatment. But they soon get to the place
OF execution-Acquae Talvia-and he IS
fastened to the pillar Of martyrdom. 1t
ioes not take any strength to tic him fast.
He makes no resistance. o Paul! why
not strike for your life! You have great
many friends here. With that withered
hand just launch the thunderbolt of the peo..
ole upon these Infamous soldiers. No! Paul
was not going to interfere with his own coro-
nation He was too glad to go. see him
looking up into the face Of his executionerr,
and, as the grim official draws the sword,
Paul calmly says: II am now ready to be
offered. and the time of my departure IS
ut hand" But 1 put my hand over my
eyes, 1 want not to see that last struggle.
One sharp, keen stroke, and Paul does go to
the BANQUET and Paul does dine with the
King.
malaria of Rome to the finest climate IN
all the universe-the zone OF eternal
beauty and health. His ashes were put
in the catacombs. of Rome, but in one
moment the air of heaven bathed from
his soul the last ache. From shipwreck,
Aom dungeon, from the biting pain OF the
atwood rods. from the sharp sword OF
ID, heads,nan, he goes into the most brilliant
asSemblage of heaven, a king among kings;
multitudeS of the sainthood rushing out ana
stretching forth hands of welcome; for l 90
really think that as on the right hand OF God
is Christ, so on the right hand of Christ Is
Paul, the second great in heaven.
He changed kings likewise. Before the
hour of death and up to the last moment
he was under Nero the thick necked, the